Nigerian Football
SAMUEL OKWARAJI: 30 YEARS AFTER…
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
How time flies! It is 30 years today since a Nigerian football midfield maestro; Samuel Okwaraji was martyred on the turf of the National Stadium, Lagos.
The then bubbling 25-year old
player suddenly slumped and died 10 minutes to the end of an Italia ’90 World
Cup qualifying match of Nigeria with Angola.
The result of the match, a 1-0 win for Nigeria, has certainly gone into oblivion. But the other sad events keep memories to linger on.
Not only did Okwaraji die, five other fans, also died of exhaustion and suffocation in a tightly packed arena that was being reopened for matches after a season of closure.
What an irony! The first time Okwaraji played at the National Stadium was the last time he lived.
It was just a day to the 10th anniversary of a previous disaster that claimed 24 lives at the same National Stadium, Lagos when IICC Shooting Stars defeated Bendel Insurance, 2-1 in a floodlit semi final match of the then Challenge Cup.
RELATED STORY: https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2018/08/11/29-years-after-an-eye-witness-account-with-photos-of-how-samuel-okwaraji-five-fans-died/
Okwaraji’s death was suspected to be complications of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as an autopsy showed that he had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure.
His sudden death similar to that of Cameroon’s Marc-Vivien Foe who slumped during a FIFA Confederation Cup match in France in 2003.
In the case of Okwaraji, his death was bizarre. As the drab match progressed, an Angolan player slumped. Medical personnel rushed to administer treatment. It was barely 10 minutes to the end of the match.
RELATED STORY: https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2018/08/12/medical-experts-explains-possible-cause-of-okwarajis-death/
As attention focused on the injured Angolan player, and while some fans that had fainted by the sidelines were being attended to, dreadlocks haired Okwaraji suddenly slumped, face down. Few people would have thought it was mere exhaustion.
The nearest player to him, Samson Siasia, rushed to the prostrate form and tried him to face up.
RELATED STORY: https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2019/05/20/i-warned-against-fielding-okwaraji-on-the-day-he-died-says-pat-ekeji/
What he saw was frightening as he put his hands on his head in despair.
The following day, he told this
reporter: “The way I saw him, he was gasping and foaming. His teeth were
gritty… No one could easily ascertain the cause of his death. It still remains
a mystery.”
Earlier this year, on the occasion of his 55th posthumous birthday, search engine giants, Google, on Sunday May 19, 2019 him Google Doodle.
The Google Doodle is used on the search engine home page for different seasons or special days such as birthdays of famous people.
To his memory, a monument is put at the outer perimeter fence of the National Stadium, Lagos.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will on Thursday, April 2, 2026 inaugurate its Electoral Committee and Electoral Appeals Committee, marking a key step in preparations for the federation’s next executive elections.
The inauguration ceremony will take place at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja and will be presided over by NFF President and WAFU B Zone President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
The two committees were constituted during last week’s Extraordinary General Assembly held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as part of the roadmap towards the NFF Elective Congress scheduled for September 26 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
A total of 12 members have been appointed across both bodies. The Electoral Committee will comprise seven members, including a chairperson, vice chairperson and three other full members, alongside two alternates. The Electoral Appeals Committee will have five members, made up of three full members and two alternates.
According to the NFF, the Electoral Committee will oversee the entire electoral process in line with the provisions of the federation’s Statutes (March 2026 edition) and Electoral Code (March 2026). Its responsibilities include organizing, conducting and supervising elections into the NFF Executive Committee.
Those appointed into the two committees include Matthew Burkala (SAN), Hon. Justice C.J. Aneke, Emmanuel Dada Obafemi, Babagoni Grema, Benjamin Sak, Bature Musa and Professor Abdulmalik Awwal. Others are Arinze Azubuike Anughere, Dr Akogun Olugbenga Omole, Abayomi Akin Omoyimi, Ayibaye Peter Great Temedie and Ayi Ekpo Ukpayam.
Thursday’s inauguration is expected to formally set the committees in motion, with their immediate mandate being to lay the groundwork for a transparent and credible electoral process leading to the September congress.
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Nigerian Football
NSC, Edo FA Back Ikhana Football Academy, Set to Adopt Model for Youth Development
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, and the Edo State Football Association have pledged strong institutional support for the newly launched Kadiri Ikhana Football Academy (KIFA), describing it as a model for grassroots football development in Nigeria.
The commitment was made during the official unveiling of the academy in Auchi, Edo State, on Saturday, where stakeholders praised the initiative of former Nigerian international, Kadiri Ikhana.
Represented at the event by his aide, Ebidowei Oweife, Olopade commended Ikhana for establishing an academy that integrates football training with formal education, noting that the Commission intends to nurture and replicate the model across the country.
“We are happy that a person of the calibre of Coach Kadiri Ikhana has taken this initiative. He is not only a member of the historic 1980 Green Eagles squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations but also the first Nigerian coach to win the CAF Champions League with Enyimba,” Olopade said.
Declaring the project a priority, the NSC boss added, “The academy is our baby, and we shall adopt it. We are particularly impressed that it combines football with schooling. We want the students to take their education seriously alongside their football careers. The NSC will definitely support this project.”
Also throwing its weight behind the initiative, the Edo State Football Association described the academy as a significant step toward youth empowerment and football development in the state.
Chairman of the association, Fred Newton, who was represented at the ceremony, praised Ikhana for investing his experience and knowledge in grooming the next generation of players.
“We are delighted that you have chosen to give back by shaping young talents in Edo State. This initiative will have a lasting impact not only in Edo North but across the entire state. We are fully behind you and will support you in achieving your goals,” Newton stated.
The Kadiri Ikhana Football Academy is expected to serve as a hub for nurturing young football talents while ensuring their academic growth, aligning with broader efforts to create a more structured and sustainable pathway for sports development in Nigeria.
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By Kunle Solaja.
For the fourth time, the elective congress of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, will be held in September. It is a pattern that evolved in Warri in 2014 when Amaju Pinnick was elected on 30 September.
Four years later in Katsina, another elective congress was held in Katsina on September 20. Four years ago in Benin, the 30 September election brought in Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
Another September fever is in the offing as the NFF will hold its next Elective Congress on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.
The decision was ratified by the NFF Extraordinary General Assembly at its meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as part of resolutions aimed at setting the stage for the federation’s next leadership cycle.
The Elective Congress will determine the composition of the NFF Executive Committee, including the election of a president and other key officials to steer the affairs of Nigerian football for the next term.
By fixing both the date and venue several months in advance, the federation is expected to provide ample time for electoral preparations, including the nomination of candidates, screening processes and compliance with provisions of the NFF Statutes and Electoral Code.
The choice of Lafia underscores the NFF’s continued rotation of major football events across different parts of the country, while also aligning with efforts to ensure a transparent and orderly electoral process.
Further details regarding the election timetable and guidelines are expected to be released by the NFF Electoral Committee in the coming months.
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